Cathedral

L.A. Cathedral, at 8-1 and blowing out teams, is on the rise. The Phantoms' latest triumph was an 58-31 rout of Fairfax on Saturday night. Idrissa Diallo, a 6-foot-11 senior, had 16 points and Lorel Johnson added 12 points. Cathedral plays Price on Monday night. Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Riverside County sheriff's detectives are investigating a car-to-car freeway shooting near Cathedral City that left a 24-year-old man injured Saturday afternoon, authorities said. The unidentified victim was driving west on the 10 Freeway near Date Palm Drive about 3:15 p.m. when a white, 4-door sedan pulled alongside his vehicle, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The driver of the sedan "got the attention of the victim and then shot several times," according to a Sheriff's Department statement.

L.A. Cathedral is ranked No. 1 in Southern Section Division 4, but the Phantoms are one of the best soccer teams in Southern California regardless of division. They won another tournament championship, defeating Downey, 1-0, in the California High School Classic at Ocenside. Goalie Kris Guerra had his third consecutive shutout and Kristan Nunez scored the only goal in the 24th minute. Cathedral is 10-1-1 overall. Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Saturday was not a good day for Concord De La Salle. Not only did the Spartans lose in football to St. John Bosco, but their soccer team was beaten by L.A. Cathedral, 2-1, in the De La Salle Showcase. Cathedral (6-0-1) received goals from Isaias Reyes and Miguel Lorenzo. Next up for the Phantoms is the Nike SoCal Showcase in Oceanside. Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

The former Crystal Cathedral will close to the public as it undergoes a transformation from a space built as a television studio as much as a sanctuary into the spiritual home for the Orange County Catholic community of more than 1.2 million people. Beginning Sunday, the newly named Christ Cathedral will be closed for construction as crews launch a $29-million effort to restore the more than 75,000-square-foot space. The Diocese of Orange has been working with liturgical consultants and architects to modify the church built in the vision of the Rev. Robert Schuller into one that meets the requirements of a Catholic cathedral.

The former Crystal Cathedral will close to the public as it undergoes a transformation from a space built as a television studio as much as a sanctuary into a Catholic cathedral, the church's new owner, the Diocese of Orange, announced Tuesday. Beginning Sunday, the newly named Christ Cathedral will be closed for construction as crews launch a $29-million effort to restore the more than 75,000-square-foot space. The diocese has been working with liturgical consultants and architects to modify the cathedral built in the vision of the Rev. Robert Schuller into one that meets the requirements to serve as the headquarters for Orange County's Catholic community of more than 1.2 million people.

Whenever she has bad news for a family at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center emergency room, Gabriela Perez says a little prayer to herself before stepping through the door. A devout Roman Catholic nicknamed "Mother Teresa" by her co-workers, Perez became a nurse practitioner 27 years ago to serve her community and those in need. It's more than a job, she said. Serving the needy is deeply intertwined with her faith. Perez attended the White Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Sunday afternoon to pray for her patients and for others in the healthcare profession.

David Lemoto, a 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior lineman at L.A. Cathedral, has not played this season and there's uncertainty whether he'll ever get on the field for the Phantoms. He has attended Crespi, Cleveland and Canoga Park. He transferred to Cathedral during the summer, but Canoga Park challenged his eligibility, and Cathedral won't allow him to play until questions are resolved so that the team won't have to forfeit a game if he's declared ineligible. Eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Re "Age-old rituals, TV-age church," Column One, Sept. 13 The Roman Catholic Church's hierarchy has chosen to spend millions ($57.5 million on the purchase alone) to convert the former Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove to the Christ Cathedral. It's logic: The church needs a place that helps Catholics "see their faith is larger," according to Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann. This echoes former L.A. Archbishop Roger M. Mahony's fundraising to build his downtown legacy edifice, saying that a magnificent structure is needed to properly experience God. I say baloney.